Illicit Vapes in the Philippines The illicit trade of tobacco products remains a major challenge in the Philippines. [...] According to the Department of Health (DOH), although tobacco use in the Philippines has declined over the past decade, the use of e-cigarettes and vape products has surged, especially among the youth. [...] This law aims to safeguard public health by regulating the importation, sale, and use of vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products in the Philippines. [...] Page | 5 in PHP million In September 2024, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) amended the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 11900 to strengthen the functions of the DTI Office for the Special Mandate on Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products, their Devices, and Novel Tobacco Products (OSMV) in assisting the industry in complying with regulations. [...] The Committee urged the BOC and the BIR to pursue legal action, including the immediate suspension of the company's operations, the filing of charges for unlawful possession or removal of articles subject to excise tax without proper payment, prescribing a fine of PHP 10-20 million, and imprisonment of 10-12 years for those found guilty of such offense which involves goods with appraised value exc.
Authors
- Pages
- 13
- Published in
- Philippines
Table of Contents
- ILLICIT VAPES ILLICIT VAPES 1
- IN THE IN THE 1
- PHILIPPINES PHILIPPINES 1
- Founded upon the collective track record and 2
- Prevalence of Vape Use in the Philippines 3
- In recent years Filipino consumer interest in vape products has surged. 3
- According to the Department of Health DOH although tobacco use in the Philippines has declined over the past decade the use of e-cigarettes and vape products has surged especially among the youth. 4
- The 2021 Global Adult Tobacco Survey GATS found that 69.4 of Filipino adults have heard of electronic cigarettes e-cigarettes but only 2.1 are users of these devices. 4
- In contrast the Global Youth Tobacco Surveys show a rise in e-cigarette use among students aged 13-15 from the period 2015 to 2019. 4
- POLICY ENVIRONMENT 5
- These laws mandate that excise tax collections from alcohol tobacco and two additional sin products HTPs and sugar-sweetened beverages SSBs be earmarked for health. 5
- This was followed by alcohol 30 SSBs 12 and HTPs and vapor product 0.10. 6
- The main legislation governing vape products is RA 11900 also known as the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act of 2022. 7
- ILLICIT VAPES 9
- A significant case involves the inspection of a warehouse in Valenzuela City leading to the discovery of PHP 1.428 billion worth of allegedly illegal electronic cigarettes marked Flava. 11
- IMPACT of ILLICIT VAPES 11
- While it is still a subject of study a key argument in favor of vaping is that it is potentially a less harmful alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes. 11
- The sale of illicit vapes do not abide by existing laws on sin taxes used to partially fund the Philippine governments universal health care programs. 12
- Lower selling prices of illicit vapes due to non-payment of taxes also make the products more accessible to youth. 12
- Conclusion and Recommendations 13
